scola volunteers for literacy scranton pennsylvania

SCOLA is a non-profit educational agency serving all of Lackawanna County since 1979. SCOLA trains volunteers and then matches them with a single student or a group of students. SCOLA provides free, confidential instruction to adults (16 years of age and older and out of school) in reading, writing, math, and/or life skills. SCOLA provides this instruction for both literacy (American-born) and ESL (English as a Second Language) students.

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VALUES:

SCOLA believes that literacy empowers individuals to function more effectively in society; to achieve one’s goals and to develop one’s knowledge and potential. Literacy leads to a more positive self-image, based on greater self-confidence and improved competency.

SCOLA believes that improving literacy positively impacts communities by improving employment opportunities, improving health and lessening occurrences of unemployment, underemployment, poverty, crime, and homelessness.

SCOLA fulfills its mission through a corps of volunteer tutors trained to provide literacy instruction based on teaching principles of Laubach Literacy Action, the largest volunteer-based literacy organization in the United States.

SCOLA advances literacy through one-to-one tutoring, small group instruction, computer-assisted instruction, English as a Second Language programs, and on site programs.

SCOLA provides a supportive and positive learning environment for students and volunteer tutors so they may reach their full potential.

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VISION:

SCOLA is a committed partner in a national effort to ensure that all Americans with literacy needs have access to services that can help them gain the basic skills necessary to succeed in the workplace, family, and community. To fulfill its commitment to promote literacy in Lackawanna County and beyond, SCOLA strives to:

help educationally disadvantaged adults attain basic literacy skills.
help adult English as a Second Language students improve their ability to communicate and function in the English-speaking world.
provide advocacy and education about adult literacy needs to the community
provide literacy service and support to business, human service agencies, and the community at large.

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STAFF:

Executive Director	Diana Statsman
Program Coordinator	Mary Ann Tolerico
Student Coordinator	Maria Vital

Director of Development	Nancy Dressel
Asst to Dir of Development	Ilona Thurston

BOARD:

OFFICERS:

Kevin Edwards President Marywood University

Benjamin Brown 1st V.President Community Volunteer

James Vipond Secretary Architect

Ruth Gerrity Treasurer Scranton State School

for the Deaf

BOARD MEMBERS:

Naomi Alamar Community Volunteer

Bonnie Alco Marywood University

John Atkins Restaurateur

Alice Brieg Community Volunteer

William Genello Diocese of Scranton

Robert N. Lettieri Chairman, Citizens for the Arts in PA

Noelle Lynett Community Volunteer

Jane Martin Community Volunteer

Kevin McDonough MAC Signs

Jane Oppenheim Community Volunteer

John Palumbo Architect

Midori Yamanouchi-Rynn Lackawanna College

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TAX STATUS

SCOLA Volunteers for Literacy is a non-profit corporation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code and your donation is tax deductible to the extent declared by law.

SCOLA’s program is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Pennsylvania Adult Literacy Act 143 and the Federal Adult Education Act 231.

The official registration and financial information of the Scranton Council for Literacy Advance may be obtained fromthe PA Department of State by calling toll free, within PA, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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HISTORY:

SCOLA Volunteers for Literacy is the local (Lackawanna County) affiliate of ProLiteracy America, the American branch of the worldwide organization, ProLiteracy Worldwide. ProLiteracy Worldwide is the world's largest volunteer literacy organization. ProLiteracy America is the largest volunteer literacy organization in the United States. SCOLA is the largest adult literacy provider in Lackawanna County and has been providing adult literacy services since 1979.

SCOLA uses the Laubach Way to Reading series as its core curriculum. This system of teaching was created and developed in the late 1920's in the Philippines by Dr. Frank Laubach, a missionary and Benton, Pennsylvania native, while working with the Moros on Mindanao. Their language, Maranaw, proved to be simple, with only four vowel sounds and twelve consonant sounds. Dr. Frank devised a system of writing their language using our Roman alphabet and put these sounds on a series of charts. The results were amazing. People learned to read and write in two weeks or less. Soon a paid corps of teachers was working in their own and other villages.

After lack of funding forced Dr. Laubach to close his program in the Philippines, a leading chief who understood the importance of literacy to his people stepped in with a solution. He stated - in words no one could misunderstand - "I'll make everybody who knows how to read teach somebody else -- or I'll kill him!" Well, no one died but a method of education was set in motion that worked wonderfully well. From the chief's words Dr. Laubach took the phrase that became the motto of Laubach Literacy (which eventually became ProLiteracy): "Each One Teach One." His program was so successful that it was dubbed "Lightning Literacy," and he was asked to duplicate the program in country after country. Dr. Frank became known as the "Apostle to the Illiterates." For almost 40 years he traveled, developing his methodology in 313 languages and dialects in 105 countries.

The Laubach method, which stresses phonics, is designed to take an adult new reader from a pre-primer level to approximately a sixth grade reading equivalency, at which level all reading skills have been taught. It is up to the student to continue to expand his/her vocabulary, experience, and expertise with these skills. However, it is important to add that at SCOLA all instruction is goal-oriented. Additionally, we work on life skills, problem solving, and, most importantly, on developing greater self-esteem. As we move into a new century, SCOLA is also taking the lead in incorporating technology in instruction.

SCOLA is a non-profit, tax-exempt, and incorporated educational agency. SCOLA is a volunteer agency serving Lackawanna County that is funded in part by federal and state funds administered by the PA Department of Education. We also depend upon contributions from concerned citizens, businesses, and community groups. SCOLA provides free tutoring and materials for the adult new reader, and also provides free tutor training workshops and all the materials volunteer tutors need for their lessons. Additionally, SCOLA maintains a lending library of supplemental materials that tutors may use with their students to reach their individual goals. SCOLA also relies on many partnerships within the community that supply in-kind services and materials.

SCOLA also:

Provides a liaison between tutors and students.
Screens potential students.
Keeps records of tutor and student accomplishments.
Publishes a newsletter four times a year for tutor recruitment, retention, and support.
provides in-service training for tutors.
Operates & maintains a leisure-reading & resource library at reduced reading levels for students.
Conducts extensive outreach throughout the county to reach as many in need as possible.